“Those would be the same thing,” Taryn murmured.

“Okay, so there are others. He’s not good boyfriend material. I know that. I’ve seen him with his other women. He’s...” Larissa felt the pieces fall into place. “I have an unrealistic view of what a relationship with Jack would be like. I’ve only seen that part of his life from the outside.”

“No,” Taryn said firmly. “I’m not sure where this is going, but I don’t like it.”

“It’s brilliant,” Larissa told her. “Totally brilliant. I’m not going to convince Jack to fall in love with me, I’m going to convince him to have an affair with me. Then he won’t be a romantic hero anymore. He’ll just be this guy I used to date. And then I’ll fall out of love with him.”

Taryn’s gaze was steady. “That is possibly the stupidest idea ever.”

“No, it’s brilliant. You’ll see.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“WHO ARE WE MEETING?” Larissa asked as she walked with Bailey to Brew-haha.

“Her name is Shelby Gilmore. She’s Kipling Gilmore’s sister.” Bailey grinned. “You know Kipling Gilmore, right?”

“Not personally, but I might have caught one or two of his events on TV,” Larissa admitted. Kipling had been a fantastic skier and had won two gold medals at the Olympic Games earlier that year. But right now she wasn’t all that interested in him or any other man who wasn’t Jack.

Not that she’d figured out what she was going to do about him, but she was mulling and eventually she would come up with a plan.

“I saw him, too,” Bailey said. “He’s totally hot.”

“So there’s an ulterior motive for helping his sister?”

Bailey laughed. “Not even close. Mayor Marsha asked that I help make Shelby feel at home. I’m still not sure how to do that myself, so I dragged you along. This has nothing to do with Kipling. He’s just a frame of reference.”

“Uh-huh. Like I buy that. So you’re saying if he asked you out right now, you’d refuse?”

Bailey hesitated just long enough for Larissa to come to a stop and face her. “What?” she demanded. “Or rather, who? There’s somebody if you’re not accepting a date with Kipling Gilmore. I’ve heard he’s really nice. Why don’t you want to go out with him?”

Bailey laughed. “Maybe because I’ve never met the man and he certainly hasn’t asked me on a date. Besides, even if he were my type, which he’s not, you forget. I’m a single mom. It’s the best anti-date charm there is.”

Larissa hadn’t thought about that. Chloe, Bailey’s daughter, was adorable. Funny and sweet. She showed up at Score from time to time to get help with various FWM projects. The FWM—Future Warriors of the Máa-zib—was kind of like a scouting organization. But local, and with a Fool’s Gold twist.

“I thought guys were over worrying about women with kids,” she said.

“Not as much as you might think. But it’s fine. I’m not looking to get involved. Or date.” Her tone was a little wistful.

“You don’t sound convinced.”

Bailey sighed. “Okay, one hot night with Kipling Gilmore would go a long way toward brightening up my week, but that’s as much as I’m willing to commit to.”

“It’s enough.”

“What about you?” Bailey asked. “Any interest in the hunky skier?”

“I’m around hunky athletes all day,” Larissa reminded her as they crossed the street and approached the coffee shop. “I’m not looking for more.”

Nope, what she was looking for was a way to get over Jack. As she’d told Taryn, having a romantic—i.e., sexual—relationship with the man seemed like the best way to get over him. The only stumbling block was how she was going to get him to figure out he wanted her. Assuming he did.

They walked into Brew-haha. The coffee place was well lit and welcoming with lots of primary colors and an exceptional display of tempting pastries. There were a dozen or so tables, most of them empty in the middle of the afternoon. But a lone woman sat at one of them.

“That’s her,” Bailey said in a low voice. “I saw a picture.”

Shelby Gilmore was probably in her mid-twenties. She had gold-blond hair that fell past her shoulders and big blue eyes. She was petite, almost delicate. No, Larissa thought, suddenly feeling she had too long arms and legs and was way too tall. Not delicate. Ethereal. Like a fairy princess who had gotten caught in the wrong reality.

Talk about fanciful, she told herself. Where had that come from?

Shelby looked up as they approached the table. While she smiled, her gaze was wary.

“Hi,” Bailey said as she took a seat opposite. “I’m Bailey Voss and this is Larissa Owens. Thanks for meeting us.”

“You’re welcome.”

Bailey glanced at the small table between them. “We need coffee. I’m thinking a latte. What about you, Shelby?”

“Sure. A latte would be nice. Thank you.”

Larissa nodded her agreement and Bailey went off to place the orders. There was no one else in line, so she was back in a matter of a minute or so.

She sat down and sighed. “Patience is bringing over pastries with the order. That will be fine for those of you who are annoyingly skinny, but I don’t need the temptation.”

Larissa shook her head. “Yeah, right. Who wouldn’t want those curves of yours?” If she had Bailey’s figure, she would have a much easier time of getting Jack’s attention.

Bailey smiled. “If only that were true.” She looked at Shelby. “So, you’re wondering who we are and why we’re here.”

“A little,” Shelby admitted.

“We want to welcome you to Fool’s Gold. You’re new here. I moved here only a few years ago, so I know what it’s like to be a stranger in a small town where it seems like everyone knows everyone else.”

“That would be tough,” Larissa said, thinking when she’d moved to Fool’s Gold in the spring, she’d been with her Score family. So she didn’t have to feel by herself. But Shelby might not know anyone.

Shelby glanced between them. “I’m doing okay. I have a job at the bakery.”

Patience, the owner of Brew-haha walked up with a large tray. She put down three lattes and a plate of pastries. “You work for Amber, right? You’re the new baker? That’s great.” She pointed at the pastries. “I’ve been eating too many of those. You’re doing a really good job and you need to stop. I mean it.”

Shelby smiled. “Thanks. I like my job. Amber is really easy to work for.”

“She’s just lovely,” Patience said. “All right, I’ll leave you three to your afternoon treats. Yell if you need anything.”

Each of them took a latte. Shelby ignored the pastries, but Larissa reached for the cheese-and-blueberry one and took a bite.

“Heaven,” she said when she’d chewed and swallowed. “One of yours?”

Shelby nodded.

Bailey eyed the high-calorie snack before pushing the plate away. “So, Shelby, how are you enjoying the town?”

“It’s fine.”

Larissa sensed the other woman wasn’t comfortable with their meeting. “Have you been to any of the festivals? They’re pretty fun. I loved the books festival. I met several of my favorite authors and got books signed as birthday and Christmas gifts for family. I grew up in Los Angeles. Killer weather, but there’s not much of a small-town feel.”

“Fool’s Gold would be a change,” Shelby said. “I’m from Colorado. I’m used to smaller towns but nothing like this.”

“Fool’s Gold is unique,” Bailey said.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Bailey glanced at Larissa, her expression desperate. Larissa struggled for something to say.

“Um, Bailey works for Mayor Marsha,” she blurted. “She’s the longest-serving mayor in California, by the way. She knows your brother.”

Shelby turned her attention to Bailey. “When did she meet Kip?”

“Earlier this year. Right after his accident. She was in New Zealand.” Bailey paused. “I’m not sure exactly how she met him, what with him being in a hospital and all.”

Shelby’s wariness faded. “Then it was her!”

“What was her?”

“The old lady my brother told me about. After...” She swallowed. “My mom died a couple of months ago. She had cancer and it wasn’t unexpected, but it was still hard.”

Larissa instinctively reached for Shelby’s hand. Bailey was already touching her arm.

“I’m sorry,” Bailey said. “About your mom. When you lose a family member, it’s awful.” She swallowed. “I lost my husband last year.”

“Then you know,” Shelby said quietly. “Thank you both for meeting me. I’m sorry if I seem a little standoffish. It’s just things were hard with my mom and my dad...well, there’s no need to talk about him.” She managed a slight smile. “Let’s just say that right after Kip’s accident, two men showed up out of nowhere and took care of me and my mom.”

“Do you know their names?” Larissa asked, wondering if there was a town connection.

“Ford and Angel.”

“Those are our guys,” Bailey said. “They’re both at the bodyguard school. Interesting that they came and found you.” She looked at Larissa. “It has to be Mayor Marsha.”

Larissa nodded. “Everyone says she knows things there’s no way to know. It’s kind of mystical. I like it.”

Shelby nodded. “Me, too. I owe her.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get back to work, but it was great to meet you both. Maybe we could do this again.”

“I’d like that,” Larissa said.

Bailey nodded. “Very much.”

They exchanged cell numbers and Shelby left. Bailey grabbed one of the pastries and took a bite.

“That was a challenge,” she said when she’d swallowed. “I thought she was going to bolt when we first sat down.”

“She was wary,” Larissa said. “She’s dealing with something and I think it’s more than what happened to her mom.” There had been something in her eyes. Something Larissa sometimes saw when she talked to parents of a child in need of a transplant that didn’t look as if it was going to happen. Hopelessness.

Bailey finished the pastry and licked her fingers. “Thanks for coming with me. I would have totally blown it on my own.”

“No, you wouldn’t have. You would have done great.”

“I wish. So what’s new with you? Ready to admit you’re in love with Jack?”

Larissa felt her mouth drop open. “How did you know?”

Bailey stared at her. “What? You are? I was kidding. You’re in love with Jack? When did that happen? When did you two start dating? Why am I always the last to know?”

“We’re not dating. We’re friends.”

Bailey sagged back in her seat. “What? You said you’re in love with him. Start at the beginning and speak slowly. I need to catch up.”

“When we talked about it before, I said my mother was insane. No way I was in love with him,” Larissa said.

“Only you are.”

“I didn’t know it.”

“Apparently not. So this revelation came over time?”

Larissa nodded. “I mean, it’s Jack. He’s good-looking and sweet. He’s always there for me and he supports my causes. We hang out all the time. And he has a body.”

“Which you’ve seen and touched.” Bailey pressed her lips together. “I can see how it happened. You were minding your own business and the man sucked you in. Now what? Do you declare your undying devotion and beg to be taken?”

“Sort of.”

“Wow. Impressive.”

Larissa smiled. “Don’t be impressed. What I mean is I’m going to figure out how to fall out of love with Jack and that involves sex.”

Bailey put down her latte. “I always thought I was one of the brighter bulbs in the chandelier. I guess that’s not true. Where does the sex fit in?”

“Jack isn’t going to fall for me. He’s emotionally unavailable. So there’s no happy ending with him. If I want a normal romantic life, it needs to be with someone else. Only how does a normal guy compete with Jack?”

“That would be tough. So how does ha**g s*x with Jack help?”

“It removes the mystery. I’ll see him for who he is and let the fantasy go.”

Bailey looked doubtful. “Or you’ll bond with him and fall even deeper in love.”

Something Larissa hadn’t thought of. “I think if I focus on his flaws, I’ll be fine.”

“You do realize if you’re wrong, you’re digging a pit you’ll never crawl out of.”

Larissa brushed away the information. “I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so. I’m assuming there’s a plan.”

“There is.”

Bailey raised her eyebrows expectantly. “And it is what?”

“I’m going to seduce him.”

* * *

JACK CARRIED THE bags of takeout carefully. He had burritos, along with chips and salsa and guacamole from Margaritaville and he knew better than to risk anything spilling. The women in his life were serious about their chips and guacamole.